Finding Love in Artesia Township

My sister, Jackie, told me "Neighbors married neighbors."  That was your little world in rural America . . . your dating pool.  Hopefully your neighbors were good looking or at least somewhat interesting.  

I am going to attempt to explain Artesia Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, and the Robbins, Day, Burrill, Isbister, Yaw, Perkinson, Mitchell, Sprague, Pacey family connections. 

I located an Iroquois County atlas on Family Search.  This book on Family Search was a reprint of plats from 1884, 1904 and 1921.  Unfortunately, there were some errors in the reprinting process.  But I knew exactly where my family was located in Artesia Township (sections 7,8,9) and found the correct maps.  

The cover:

Artesia Township 1884 and detailed 1884.  Thawville is located in the upper left corner of Artesia Township and Buckley to the lower right. (Below):

From L to R:  John Mitchell (married a Robbins girl), C. W. Sprague (married a Burrill girl), Henry Yaw (married a Robbins girl), Edwin G. Robbins, and Julius E. Day. Almost all of these families remained in this area and are buried at Ridgeland Cemetery near Thawville, Illinois, or the Onarga Cemetery in Onarga, Illinois.  John Mitchell  and Mary Alice Robbins moved out of the area. (Cousin Stephen Mitchell is on Ancestry and has contributed some great family photos.)

  

The Veatch School is circled in red.  I imagine most of our family received at least their elementary education at this school.  I think I have a photo of it somewhere. I'll try to find that.  

Artesia Township 1904 (Below):

In the 1884 map, there is a new land owner, R. S. Perkinson (married a Robbins girl.)

Artesia Township 1921 (Below):

The 1921 plat shows some changes with Alice Robbins now owning 40 acres and F. A. Pacey (married a Robbins girl) next to her 40. Olin Robbins and Halsey Robbins are now owners of property in Artesia Township also.  And R. S. Perkinson owns more land.  The tiny squares that I have circled in red in the sections are homes.  I know the home my Grandma Arnold was born and raised still stands on the H. D. Robbins land on this plat (section 8.) I'll need to do more research on the other homes.  

All very interesting and will require a road trip soon.  More to come on these family connections. 

Artesia Township

 Artesia Township, Iroquois County, Illinois.  1904.

Emily Bridge Burrill

Death certificate for Emily Burrill. A sister to my great, great grandmother, Mary (Burrill) Isbester Day.  Emily never married and was a teacher in the Boston area.  Why her middle name is "Bridge" is a mystery.  

My Grandma Arnold was also researching this line many years ago.  She does have some confusing notes on Emily Bridge Burrill and not many details.  Grandma's notes list an "Emily Bridge, daughter of Herman and Nancy C. Bridge born July 24th, 1838. Herman Bridge, born in Dorchester Mass June 16, 1875.  Herman Bridge died Nov 3, 1863 aged 52 years. Sophia Bridge died Dec. 15, 1863 age 56. Emily died Aug 26, 1849, 11 years."  No clue who the Bridges are.  

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  A family friend that John and Mary Ann named their daughter after, maybe?  A family name?

Burrill Family by Emily (Sprague) Wilcox

A family history written by Emily (Sprague) Wilcox.  

John Burrill and Mary Ann Bailey of Boston had seven children.  John Burrill ran a meat shop in Boston.  He died when he was in his forties.  Mary Ann supported the family by keeping boarders in their home.

1.  John Henry Burrill was a traveling salesman.  He and his wife died young.

2.  Caroline Elizabeth Burrill married Charles Sprague also of Boston.  Charles served many years in the Civil War. Charles and Caroline located in Illinois after the war. They bought a farm three miles south of Thawville.

3.  Charles Burrill  Had a store in partnership with another man, but the store was destroyed in the Great Boston Fire. 

4.  Mary Ann Burrill married first William Isbester (ex Civil War soldier) second Julius Day.  She is my great, great grandmother. Mary had two children (Will and Bessie) with her first husband, William, who died when their children were small. They were living near Thawville, Illinois, at the time.  She next married an Illinois farmer, Julius Day.  They had three children:  Stella (mother of my grandmother, Mildred (Robbins) Day, Ralph, and Caroline.

5.  Emma Frances  Never married. Teacher in Boston.

6.  Emily Bridge  Never married.  Teacher in Boston. 

7.  Edward "Ned"  Never married.  

Mary Ann Burrill's Siblings

Mary Ann's siblings.  Their parents are John Burrill and Mary Ann Bailey of Boston.  More on them later. 

Mary Ann Burrill of Boston

Who I am researching now . . . my great, great grandmother, Mary Ann Burrill, first marriage to William Isbester, second marriage to my great, great grandfather, Julius Elliot Day. 

 

Written by Mary's daughter, Emily (Burrill) Wilcox (Emily's mother was Caroline Elizabeth (Burrill) Sprague,) to my grandma, Mildred (Robbins) Arnold, in 1956: 

"My mother's sister, Mary Burrill, came out to visit my folks. 

William Isbester, an ex-soldier fell in love with her, and they were married, and lived on a farm adjoining my father's. The had two children Bessie and Willie. Bessie died when she was a baby and was buried in the Lisk Cemetery (this is near Thawville, Illinois.) Then their father came down with tuberculosis, and the family went to California for his health, but he died there, and Willie and his mother came back to Illinois. The lived with my folks for a while, and part of the time in Boston with her family.
Several years later she married Julius Day, and they were your grandparents, and lived in the same house you did when you were growing up."

Anyone Recognize this Home?

 

Does anyone recognize this home.  Possibly located rural Thawville or Buckley, Illinois area?